Various types of epidermal surfactants have been developed for applying to the skin of an individual. Surfactants, such as lathering surfactants, have been used with various types of disposable and nondisposible wash pads or washcloths for body cleansing. Unfortunately, conventional nondisposable wash pads and washcloths are difficult for children to use, who typically attempt to bunch them into a ball when washing. Occasionally, part of the cloth will flop and splash soap in the child's eye. Further, a child will often complete an entire bath using a conventional wash pad or washcloth without ever touching the soap to the pad or cloth. Additionally, a child attempting to use a wash pad or a washcloth with a conventional bar of soap will result in the child only partially soaped, with the soap often resting on the bottom of the bath tub or shower.
In order to make washing more enjoyable, soaps have been developed shaped like characters or have characters embedded within. Such soaps appeal to children and encourage them to bathe longer. Other soaps, such as decorative soaps, appeal to adults and may comprise a transparent soap having an embedded article or an embedded image layer therein. The image layer can be dissolvable or not dissolvable in water. Such decorative soaps can also encourage children to bathe longer and can be used by adults for decoration purposes. Unfortunately, while such soaps may encourage children to bathe longer, they are not always convenient and continue to be difficult for use by children.
Disposable wash pads or washcloths, such as single use, premoistened and prepackaged towelettes or wipes have been developed for use in washing. While such articles are more convenient than conventional nondisposable washcloths and can be used for a variety of applications, they do not generally appeal to children and it is often difficult to determine if the child has properly and fully washed themselves and if a quantity of soap, detergent, or other active ingredient contained within the towelette or wipe remains.
Accordingly, a need exists for a method and an article for performing the method of applying and monitoring if an amount of epidermal surfactant or other active ingredient remains to be dissolved during the application process. A need also exists for a method and an article for performing the method that encourage and make washing enjoyable for children, help ensure that children properly and fully wash themselves, and are easy and convenient, and inexpensive to manufacture.